International Students

Bristol Community College (BCC) welcomes students from all countries of the world, provided you show promise of profiting from the educational opportunities and experience in the U.S. and at the College. Please refer to the information located in the menu below to help you navigate the admission and enrollment process for international students interested in attending BCC.

QUESTION: Who is considered an international applicant?

ANSWER: If you are not:

a U.S. Citizen OR

a U.S. Permanent Resident (hold a green card) OR

a Refugee in the U.S. under political asylum OR

in the process of legally pursuing a green card and can provide proper documentation of your pending status OR

in the U.S. on a visa (other than an F-1 visa) which allows you to study on a full-time basis

then, you are considered an international applicant and must follow the College’s admission application procedures for international applicants.

Students who are citizens of countries other than the U.S. are only eligible to enroll in a degree program at Bristol Community College on certain visas. Students who do not obtain the appropriate visa will not be enrolled in a degree program. It is important to check with the Admissions Office to determine if your current visa allows you to study in the U.S. or if you need to apply for a change of status to F-1. Please note: students who register for classes, but do not complete the admission application process and matriculate, will not be allowed to receive a degree from Bristol Community College.

International students who wish to attend Bristol Community College on an F-1 student visa must have completed the equivalent of a U.S. secondary school education and must demonstrate their proficiency in English (if English is not their first or best language). Students attending BCC on an F-1 student visa must be enrolled in an associate degree program as a full-time student (12 credits or more per semester). Off-campus employment is not permitted for students on an F-1 student visa. In certain rare cases, an application for hardship can be filed by the P/DSO at the College on a student’s behalf and employment may be granted. F-1 international students are not eligible to apply for financial aid.

Instructions for Completing Your International Student Application

Instructions for Completing Your International Student Application

if you are an eligible international applicant and you complete the following application procedures by the appropriate deadline, you will be admitted to a degree program at Bristol Community College. For certain selective programs such as health-related programs, culinary arts, and hospitality management, additional procedures apply. Please refer to the college’s website for additional requirements at www.bristolcc.edu.

To access all of the documents referenced below in one packet, please click here.

International applicants currently outside of the U.S. or those inside the U.S. on a visa category other than F-1 or J-1 must submit a completed admissions application, including $35.00 application fee, by May 15 for the next fall semester (September-December), or by October 15 for the next spring semester (January-May). All supporting documents must be received by these dates in order to be considered complete.

International applicants currently within the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 Visa must submit completed admission applications by August 1 for the next fall semester, or by January 1 for the next spring semester. All supporting documents must be received by these dates in order to be considered complete.

Submit the completed address verification form necessary to process an F-1 visa. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requires that the College be able to report an International Student’s full permanent address including province, country and postal code.

In addition, BCC does not use DHL or FedEx to mail documentation to students, we only mail via regular post. We request that you provide a mailing address in the U.S. to mail these documents so we can ensure you receive your admissions and visa documentation in a timely manner.

3. Submit official academic records:

a. An official (original) secondary school transcript or diploma and national examination results, if applicable, must accompany your application. Photocopies and faxed copies are not acceptable unless copied in our office from originals by Admissions Staff. Emailed copies may be acceptable on a case by case basis.

b. Transfer applicants must also submit official transcripts from all universities or colleges attended. Photocopies and faxed copies are not acceptable unless copied in our office from originals by Admissions Staff. Emailed copies may be acceptable on a case by case basis.

c. Certified English translations (validated by an official certified public translator) must accompany all credentials in languages other than English. All transcripts (secondary school and college/university) must also be evaluated for equivalency to studies in the United States. Academic credentials from certain countries may be able to be translated and evaluated at BCC by trained staff members at the discretion of the Associate Director of Admissions. Please refer to this list for suggestions of agencies that can be contacted.

d. International university or college course work must be evaluated to determine comparative course levels, course equivalents and grades to the American higher education system. If you are seeking transfer credit for coursework completed outside of the U.S., a course-by-course evaluation must be completed. This evaluation must be conducted by an approved center and forwarded to the Admissions Office. If accepted to the College, a transfer credit evaluation will be conducted by the Admissions Office to determine transferability/equivalency of international course work.

The Certification of Finances form must be filled out accurately and completely. If anyone is helping you pay for your education, such as a parent, relative, friend, government sponsor, etc., then that sponsor must also sign the completed Certification of Finances form. Return the completed form with the application to the Admissions Office. If multiple sponsors will be providing funding, each sponsor must complete a form.

5. Submit proof of financial support:

In addition to the Certification of Finances form, international applicants seeking an I-20 form for an F-1 visa must submit verification of finances. An official letter from the bank verifying that you have the required $22,188.00 USD to finance your annual estimated expenses at Bristol Community College must be forwarded to the Admissions Office. This letter must be on official bank stationary and signed by a bank official. The letter must be dated and include a U.S. dollar amount. This letter will expire after six months from the date it is issued. Photocopies or faxed copies are not acceptable. Emailed copies may be acceptable on a case by case basis.

6. Submit proof of English Language Proficiency:

All international students applying to BCC requiring an F-1 Student Visa whose primary language is not English will be required to show proof of English Language Proficiency by submitting one of the following:

English Composition I (ENG 101) or equivalent from another regionally accredited U.S. college or university with a C- or higher

TOEFL Score (61 or higher on iBT version)

IELTS Score (6.0 or higher on IELTS Academic version)

7. Additional Criteria:

If you are currently in the United States, you must produce a valid passport, visa and I-94 card. Please note that you may obtain your I-94 electronically via United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home).

Transfer students applying to BCC from another college or university in the U.S., need to submit a copy of the I-20 form from the school previously attended along with a verification of enrollment and last date attended. Also, the institution you are currently attending or last attended in the United States must complete the two-part F-1 Student Transfer Verification Form.

When an eligible international applicant completes all of the application procedures by the appropriate deadline, the Admissions Committee will review the application for admission. An admission decision will be mailed to the student at the mailing address listed on the application. If accepted, the student is required to submit a non-refundable $50.00 registration deposit. Once that deposit is received, the College will issue the student the Certificate of Eligibility form (I-20 form). Admission is granted for a specific semester of entrance and the I-20 form is only valid for that particular semester. The student must present the I-20 to his/her country’s embassy/consulate to obtain an F-1 visa.